As the Ravens get ready to fly down to Jacksonville for a Monday Night Football contest with the underdog Jaguars, they’re bringing back a familiar face to help bolster their increasingly depleted linebacker roster.
Prescott Burgess (6-3, 253, 5th year out of Michigan) was waived at the end of summer and amazingly was not picked up another NFL team. I always thought he was one of the better backups in the Ravens system. Maybe it was a salary cap move to let him go…but now the gamble has paid off for both Burgess and the team.
The Ravens waived tackle/guard Mark LeVoir to make room for outside linebacker Prescott Burgess Tuesday afternoon. They made the move after linebacker Dannell Ellerbe limped off the field clutching his leg in the game against the Houston Texans. It was Ellerbe’s first game back from a hamstring injury suffered in Week 3.
It will be Burgess’ second time being re-signed this season. He was also released and re-signed last year. Burgess, who didn’t make the final roster out of training camp, was brought back on Sept. 28 after Ellerbe originally went down. He played in one game against the New York Jets, then was waived on Oct. 4 before the bye.
Burgess led the Ravens in special teams tackles the past two seasons. He will mostly be used there, but also provides depth at outside linebacker.
I’m amazed Burgess was not grabbed by one of the many teams in the NFL who are desperate for help at outside linebacker. Better yet, he knows the Ravens system and schemes, and is a big talent on special teams coverage… having Burgess on their roster makes the Ravens a beter team.
Local fans of the Ravens are suddenly realizing that once again their team is away from home for a big MNF showcase.
The Ravens have not played host to a Monday night game since December of 2007, when the Ravens nearly knocked off the 12-0 New England Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium, falling 27-24. On the contrary, 1-5 Jacksonville – coming off an 8-8 campaign in 2010 – will host two Monday night games in 2011.
Ravens Owner Steve Bisciotti is pulling for a home Monday night matchup. “We haven’t been on Monday Night Football in forever at home,” Bisciotti said during a fan conference call in August. “They kind of slipped that one in on me, and it was too late, and I obviously didn’t fight hard enough when they asked us for our preferences. I was very disappointed, because I had mentioned it to the scheduling guys. When we didn’t get it last year, they took note, but I will bet you a Ravens hat and a shirt that we are on Monday Night Football at home next year.”
In the end, getting a “W” against the Jaguars will trump all the complaints about venue.
Since taking over as head coach in 2008, John Harbaugh owns a Monday night record of 3-2, including wins in three of his last four games. Last season, the Ravens were a perfect 2-0 in their Monday night road games against the New York Jets and Houston Texans. The Ravens hold a 3-2 record at M&T on Monday nights.
In 11 prime time games on Sundays, Thursdays and Mondays under Harbaugh, the Ravens hold a 7-4 record, with seven of those contests being played on the road. Baltimore’s head coach knows that eventually the team will get some big homes games on Monday night, but for now the team is fine with whatever the schedule makers decide.
“Right now, at this point, we’re happy to go play wherever they put us,” said Harbaugh. “Someday we’ll have a big Monday night game [at home]. But, you know what? We had a big Sunday night game, and we have a big Thursday night game coming up. So, we’ve had some really cool games here and one of these days, we’ll get a Monday night game.”
Harbaugh is also preaching to his players and the media this week the importance of not overlooking the Jaguars and the absolute necessity to focus on the momentum they need to sustain going into and coming out of this Monday night match with a Jax team that is desperate for a good showing.
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